Former US president Donald Trump has been arrested and booked in a Georgia jail on racketeering charges related to interference in the 2020 election.
He touched down in Atlanta at about 7pm local time (9am AEST), surrounded by his security team.
Trump’s motorcade reached the jail about 40 minutes later, driving past crowds of supporters. He has since been arrested.
We will continue to post key updates here throughout the day.
What next: Trump’s jail booking
Jail records show Trump is six feet and three inches (190.5cm) tall and weighs 215 pounds (97kg). He is listed as having blue eyes and blonde or strawberry hair.
It’s believed this arrest, unlike his previous arraignments, could yield the historic first of a mugshot of a former president of the US.
“Unless somebody tells me differently, we are following our normal practices, and so it doesn’t matter your status, we’ll have a mugshot ready for you,” Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat said at a press conference earlier this month.
Giuliani, who was arrested at the same jail yesterday, also had a mugshot taken.
It’s the fourth criminal case Trump has faced since March, with allegations involving hush money, illegal retention of security documents, and his culpability in the deadly January 6 attack on the US Capitol.
In Georgia, he and 18 others including his ex-chief of staff, Mark Meadows, and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani — were indicted under a racketeering statute normally associated with gang members and organised crime.
They are accused of conspiring to subvert the election results in Georgia, which narrowly voted for Joe Biden in 2020.
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Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
He said in a social media post this week that he was being prosecuted for what he described in capital letters as a “perfect phone call” in which he asked the Republican secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, to help him “find 11,780 votes” for him to overturn his loss in the state.
No court date today
Trump will not face court today, and following his booking will leave the jail.
His attorneys and prosecutors have already agreed to a US$200,000 ($311,613) bond, along with conditions that include barring the former president from intimidating co-defendants, witnesses or victims in the case.
It’s expected Trump will need to return to Georgia in coming weeks for an initial court appearance, though arrangements could be arranged for him to attend virtually, or the judge may waive the need for his presence.
Trump will likely return to his residence in Bedminster, New Jersey, after the booking.
A trial date has not yet been set.
